With all the concern about global warming, you would think a big business that signed up to a "Climate Action Partnership" would be praised. But in the US, a coalition that includes a former US Attorney General, Edwin Meese, have condemned farm machinery giant Caterpillar Inc, the big manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, for doing just that.
Caterpillar CEO, James Owens, was asked at the company's stockholder meeting last week if the company had done a cost-benefit analysis before joining a lobby pushing for a carbon trading system and mandatory targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the US.
They apparently hadn't, but have defended the action with comment that with the debate on reducing carbon emission on in earnest, it feels it can be more effective protecting the interests of coal producers and users, by supporting a single national mandate than trying to comply with potentially 50 state proposals.
Caterpillar joined a lobby calling for US lawmakers to enact a policy framework for mandatory reductions to greenhouse gas emissions through a carbon trading system similar to that which now has bipartisan political support in Australia.
There are already a variety of voluntary emissions reductions schemes operating here.
One company, Easy Being Green, will even offset your flatulence for about $20 for two years. I wonder how much they would charge for a sheep or cow?
The company reduces CO2 pollution through State and federally audited energy saving programs.
In the US, organisations such as WindCurrent already allow people to purchase "green tags" to offset emissions caused by automobile or air travel. I wonder how much they would charge to offset the planting of a paddock of wheat?
Sitting in the barber's the other day, a man who was having his hair cut, told me he pays to have trees planted on farms to offset energy used in his home.
I wonder whether there will be any land left for growing crops and raising livestock if everyone does the same.
I also wonder how many trees should be planted to offset every Caterpillar Inc bulldozer?
And is there a potential dilemma here, for a product sometimes used to knock down trees?
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